Since school age, Mr. Akaishi has set out for a career in the culinary world.

After studying Japanese and Kyoto cuisine, he joined Real Taste Corporation from Kappo Cuisine. He has been working with his skills to make the customers' time at the counter more important. After serving as the head chef of another new restaurant, he became general chef of Kushitei. He is committed to seasonal ingredients and continues to discover new ways to use these ingredients by combining 100 percent sunflower oil with his special breadcrumbs.

Having earnestly lived out his dream of being a chef, Mr. Tsuda shares the deliciousness of Kushiage.

He was born in 1970 in Aichi. He has been cooking since childhood, from shopping for ingredients to making food. His passion for cooking led him to enter Tsuji Culinary Institute. After graduation, he worked at a French kaiseki (tea-ceremony dishes) restaurant. Moved to the Michelin-starred Rokukakutei restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo, which were his starting points. After ten years of experience, he became independent in March 2013, starting his restaurant, Sousaku Kushiage Tsuda Main Branch. Then, he opened the Kinshachi Yokocho Branch in March 2018 and the Toranomon Hills Station Branch in 2024.

Mr. Tsuchihashi opened his own restaurant, believing that cooking was his only path.

He was born in 1978 in Aichi. Cooking has always been close to his heart since he was a child. He says that going to a culinary school was a natural choice for him, but it was not until after he started working that he strongly felt that "this is the only path" for him as a chef. Inspired by the human qualities of his great seniors, he has continued his studies, wishing to become like them. He has honed his skills in Japanese cuisine at Japanese restaurants, kaiseki (traditional multi-course meal) restaurants, and Sushi restaurants in Tokyo.

Mr. Nakamura's passion and dedication to the ingredients bring smiles to people's faces with his captivating techniques and cuisine.

He was born in 1973 in Toky. When he was 20, he traveled to Hokkaido and worked part-time at a tourist hotel in Shiretoko, which led him to a career in food and beverage. He then gained experience in French cuisine at Maccarina, a group restaurant of Moliere, a famous French restaurant in Sapporo. At the age of 26, he returned to Tokyo and switched to Japanese cuisine, opening his own izakaya pub in Shibuya at the age of 27. He is now the representative of the Yoshinari Group, operating three restaurants in Shibuya and one restaurant in Marunouchi. He is a genuine chef who enjoys being in the kitchen more than anything else.

Mr. Hirayama is a culinary professional who conveys happiness through food.

He was born in 1991 in Saga. Since childhood, he has excelled at detailed work and has found happiness in seeing the joy on people's faces. He found himself naturally becoming a chef. He gained extensive experience as a chef in Kyoto and Tokyo, where he also worked as an executive chef. With this experience, he now opens Takanawa Shinzan. Presenting dishes with attention to detail, he attracts guests to visit in both quality and taste.

 

Mr. Iwasaki was born on January 1, 1984 in Ishikawa. After graduating from high school, he started his life as a chef at Yamashiro Onsen Ryokan in Kaga, Ishikawa. Then, he worked at the Japanese restaurant "Shibazakura" in Prince Hotel Park Tower Tokyo. During his time there, he won first place twice in the Japanese cuisine category of a cooking competition in which chefs from Prince Hotels nationwide competed for the best chefs. After working at several Japanese restaurants, he opened Kappo Ichika in July 2015. He is pursuing dishes that will surprise and impress his guests.

Mr. Deguchi wants to thoroughly master his craft! With his stoic nature, he found himself becoming a sushi chef.

Mr. Deguchi was born in 1985 in Nagasaki Prefecture and grew up near the sea. So, fresh seafood was always on the table from a young age. After tasting various fish dishes, he decided to become a sushi chef handling fresh fish and moved to Tokyo. After 2 years of training at a sushi restaurant in Ginza, he was invited by a senior chef he admired to work at the affiliated restaurant where he now works. He is a stoic who pursues it to its end once he starts on a path. Presently, he is the general manager of all affiliated restaurants Hatazushi and Magurobito.

His international experience in Paris was a turning point in his life that encouraged him to master the art of yakitori (grilled chicken).

Born in Nagasaki prefecture in 1950, Chef Inomata trained at a number of yakitori restaurants, beginning with Torinaga in Roppongi. Later, he worked at a yakitori restaurant in Paris. Yakitori is a part of Japanese culture and Inomata was one of the first to spread the word about it to the rest of the world. In 1994, he returned to Japan and opened Toriyoshi in Nakameguro. He later opened branches in Nishi-azabu and Ginza. Inomata is now the owner of four restaurants. He can often be found standing at the grill in Corridor Machi's Miyashin.

A pioneer who went to Italy to introduce Italian cuisine to Japan.

Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1957. After training at [Alain Chapel], a French restaurant inside Kobe Portopia Hotel, he decided to work towards mastering Italian cuisine. He was one of the first people to go to Italy with the aim of studying Italian cuisine. Throughout his three years of study, he came to realize that the charm of Italian cuisine lies in regional foods. With this in mind, he studied at 14 different restaurants all across the country. In 1990, he opened this restaurant, naming it after the dish that impressed him the most during his studies.

Delivering smiles to customers through fresh fish cuisine.

Mr. Okuyama was born in 1974 in Yamagata. He has been interested in cooking ever since he was young. He learned of the joys of cooking at a dining establishment where he worked part-time during his student days and was drawn in by the world of food. He learned various knowledge and skills, such as Hokkaido cuisine, Kyoto cuisine, sushi, and Kaiseki cuisine - all of which have made him the chef he is today. Utilizing his over 20 years of experience, he now works as head chef and pours his efforts into developing the menu and raising future generations of chefs. 

Having experienced various genres, Mr. Ito now feels the depth of counter customer service.

He was born in 1980 in Mie. When he was young, his family praised him for the dishes he occasionally made, so he became interested in cooking. After graduating from a culinary college in Tokyo, he experienced various genres of cuisine, such as Japanese, Western, Korean, and Kyoto cuisine, to hone his skills. At Spainzaka Toriko, he stands at the counter for the first time and cooks while serving customers, which he finds both challenging and rewarding.

The enjoyment learned in the restaurant is an important part of Mr. Yamashita.

He was born in 1990 in Tokyo. While a student, he worked part-time at a Japanese-style pub for three years, where he learned the joy of interacting with guests through food. After graduating from college, he worked in the real estate industry for a while but then realized again that his experience in restaurants was a big part of his life, and he went back into the food and beverage industry. He then worked at a Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) restaurant for two years and a Kyushu cuisine restaurant for three years before joining Always, Inc. Currently, he is a staff member at Ginza's Taishu Sukiyaki Hokuto.

Ever since he started working as a part-time at a unagi restaurant, unagi has become his life work.

He was born in 1975 in Chiba. After graduating from a cooking school, he started working at a sushi restaurant. He worked there for about a year, but was always feeling that the job was not for him. He then started working for an unagi (eel) restaurant as a part-timer, where he eventually became a full-time worker. He gained a wide variety of experience as an unagi chef. In 2011, he started working at Unagi Komagata Maekawa Main Branch, and is now working as a chef for this restaurant.

The most reliable chef in the restaurant leads the young chefs by showing them the way. 

He was born in 1980 in Fukushima prefecture. In Tokyo, he accumulated experiences at a kaiseki (traditional Japanese cuisine) restaurant for 7 years and an Italian restaurant for 3 years. Currently he works as the master chef for [Yakitori Miyagawa Akasaka branch], and [Tori-no-Miyagawa AKASAKA INTERCITY AIR] which is operated in a new business style. He works hard towards [the most popular chicken restaurant in the world] making full use of his management ability obtained through his experience managing two different types of restaurants. His goal is to create a flexible organization to promptly meet the changing needs of the guests. This reliable leader also makes efforts to educate the chefs of the new generation.

Offering seasonal Japanese cuisine with an awareness of tradition.

Mr. Igarashi was born in 1976 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Oda Culinary School, he trained as a Japanese chef at hotels and fine restaurants in Yokohama. In 2016, he became the head chef of the Japanese Cuisine Kinari. He offers delicate and aesthetically appealing seasonal dishes while remaining mindful of the traditions of Japanese cuisine.

Mr. Iizuka is a chef who cherishes human relationships and attracts many people with outstanding skills.

He was born in 1990 in Fukuoka. A part-time job at a restaurant that he started at age 20 is an opportunity to become a chef. He polished his skills for a long time at a famous restaurant in Tokyo, Sahsya Kanetanaka. He has been working at Ushiyoshibiyori, which opened in June 2024. His sincere attitude toward cooking is consistent, and the word "delicious" from his guests is a moment of bliss for him. He also has a deep affection for this industry, where people naturally connect with each other.

Mr. Kanematsu is a chef dedicated only to the culinary arts, presenting the essence of Nagoya's pride, Jiyaki Eel, in his sincere work.

He was born in 1977 in Aichi, the owner of Kagurazaka Jiyaki Unasen. Starting his career at a tempura restaurant in a high-class hotel in Nagoya, he honed his skills in various genres, including Japanese and Italian. Later, he studied at a restaurant specializing in eel, a part of Nagoya's culinary culture, and moved to Tokyo, hoping to offer Jiyaki eel with the same taste and price as his hometown. In June 2024, he established his current restaurant in Kagurazaka, bringing the same deliciousness and enjoyment as in his hometown with his dynamic Nagoya-style Jiyaki technique.

Enjoy carefully selected Kobe beef.

Mr. Watanabe is an unparalleled yakiniku lover and fell in love with the taste of Yakiniku Motoyama, so much so that he left the company he worked for for many years to join Yakiniku Motoyama. Starting as a cooking assistant, he later served as a manager at all Yakiniku Motoyama branches. He now works hard as the head of the company's dining industry department.